Blog

We’re delighted to introduce our new press assistant, Isabelle Gray, who joined the Property House Marketing (PHM) team this month.

Izzy arrives at PHM following three years in the hospitality industry working for a boutique hotel in Cornwall, experience which has taught her how to manage high-pressure environments and a busy schedule. After time spent travelling in Australia and South East Asia, Izzy is looking forward to embracing all things Property and PR.

Her dream house would be a modern Scandinavian style house in the woods with large windows to allow plenty of natural light in to highlight the rich wooden interiors. A log burner is essential to give a real sense of ‘hygge’!

News hit last week that millions of rail users in the UK will see the price of regulated rail fares rise by up to 3.6% this month. With commuters said to be the worst-hit by the increase, which is the highest since January 2013, we’ve taken a look at homes ideally located near alternative modes of transport which provide more beneficial routes in to work both financially and in terms of health.

Trinity Walk by Lovell Homes is situated in Woolwich, South East London meaning you can fly to work via the Emirates Air Line, which provides a cable car link across the River Thames between the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Victoria Docks. This quirky mode of transport is operated by Transport for London and the duration of a single crossing is reduced to just five minutes in rush hour. Prices start at £3.50 per ticket each way, which equates to just £161 per calendar month if there is the maximum of 23 working days in the month. If you’re afraid of heights, why not take the River Bus Express, which operates from 20 piers between Putney and Woolwich. Your journey is made even easier now you can use contactless or Oyster cards to pay.

The homes at Chiswick Gate, which are available through shared ownership with Thames Valley Housing, are conveniently located to give residents access to a wide number of cycle paths in and around Chiswick. These paths provide residents with an alternative and active route in to work, and is also both economical and environmentally friendly, plus you can ride by Chiswick House and Gardens for a more scenic route.

At PHM we like to keep up with the latest goings-on, so make sure you check out our other blogs to see what we’ve been up to and for some of our top PR tips and opinions!

2017 could well be the year that the property market started to go into reverse – after years of rising house prices, the lack of affordable housing isn’t just affecting those who are struggling to get onto the property ladder, but also those trying to sell their homes in London and the South East as the pool of possible buyers shrinks.

But what of PR? The past 12 months have seen a real shift in the way businesses communicate. Political leaders have been taking social media matters into their own hands, taking responsibility for their own digital marketing as opposed to hiding behind a slick team of experts. Sometimes it works, as the UK election campaign is anything to go by, and sometimes (no need to mention names), the results are highly controversial. The ethics of communications have also been pushed into the spotlight this year as one of the largest and most well-know PR firms in the world found itself in the center of a scandal, perhaps casting doubt on the reputation of an industry that often exists to protect reputations.

However, the need for consistent, strong and transparent communications remains vital. Efficient and effective PR management and guidance plays a dual role – simultaneously sharing the story and considering the risks. Great PR will see your message distributed to your target audiences cautiously but confidently, ensuring that the perception of your product in the minds of your stakeholders is unshakeably positive.

Times may well be a changin’, but PR remains central to a successful communications strategy and will continue to be so, especially if the waters get choppy.

Its been a busy year, for us and for the property industry; we very much look forward to seeing what 2018 will bring but until then, Merry Christmas!

The upcoming holidays is a time of relaxation for many, however an extended period of time out of the workplace can cause a sense of unease for those managing their own or their clients’ social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc). However, this needn’t be the case as we at PHM believe it’s a great opportunity to schedule brand awareness campaigns, double check your customer care protocol and trust the technology available to you to manage social media on the go.

After all, ’tis the season to be jolly, said a famous Christmas carol, and so can be social media over the festive period if you follow these three golden rules for a well-planned digital strategy over the coming weeks.

1.Make a plan

It sounds simple, but without a well-organised content plan, your carefully created messaging will not know when or how it will be delivered to your audience. Help it along by creating a timetable of activity and remember to schedule the posts in using a social media scheduling tool such as Hootsuite or Sprout Social.

2. Be prepared

We promise we haven’t lifted this from a survival guide, but be aware that the holidays provides customers with more access to their social media accounts and potentially the chance to express any negative feedback. Ensure you have a communications protocol in place which can ensure messages are responded to quickly, and escalated to a customer care department swiftly if necessary. Nevertheless, it is also a chance to positively engage with your customers and potentially create an audience of which to target future content to on your return. Embrace the opportunity by introducing some easy but relevant competitions to encourage more interaction and brand loyalty.

3. Embrace change

If you always manage your social media channels using a desktop computer, then using the free tools available to you on the App Store of your smartphone for the first time might seem a little complicated. However, they are a valuable tool and there to help you quickly amend or edit your clients’ advert campaigns or engage/comment directly with customers over various channels. Get these set up before the Christmas break, and should you need to check any live campaigns or channels, you’ll be able to far more easily than opening up a laptop and signing in remotely to any emails or social media management accounts.

If you’d like a hand ensuring your social media strategies run smoothly over Christmas and indeed anytime of the year (the above rules apply to evenings and weekends too) then speak to a member of PHM on 01483 561119.

It was a successful evening at the Building Awards on Thursday 7 November, as it saw our client Berkeley Group win the prestigious Housebuilder of the Year award, which we prepared earlier this year.

A highly anticipated date in the property calendar, The Building Awards are the industry’s longest running recognition of excellence, and allow companies across all aspects of building to have their achievements held up as an example to the sector. As always, it was a great night hosted by Building magazine.

We’re also looking forward to attending the WhatHouse? Awards later this month, where we’ll be excitedly awaiting the results for the 21 entries we prepared on behalf of our clients this year.

Awards are a brilliant tool for marketing and promotion, offering a respected third-party endorsement as well as the prestige of industry recognition. If you’re unsure about the effectiveness of a tailor-made award entry, take a look at our blog, ‘Three reasons why awards are a valuable addition to your marketing strategy’, to see just how valuable they can be for your business’ marketing strategy.

If you’ve worked on a project or development of which you are particularly proud, and would like to find out more about our awards writing and design service, call the PHM team now on 01483 561119.

New on Property House Marketing’s books this month is this bespoke six-bedroom, four-storey house in Guildford, comprising over 6500 sq. ft., and benefitting from an enviable elevated position just a few yards from the North Downs in Surrey.

Alongside its picturesque views across the Downs and convenient location – just a 21-minute walk to Guildford train station – the sense of space at Northdowns Heights is what sets it apart from the rest. The home’s expansive living areas are designed not just for family living but for entertaining on a large scale too, with floor-to-ceiling glazing opening onto the rear terrace and extending this space in warmer weather.

The hub of the house is undoubtedly the sitting, dining and kitchen space, where each area is clearly defined and the dining and sitting rooms afford extensive views to the front and over the rear garden respectively. From the dining area, doors also open onto a large terrace from which the fabulous view over the Surrey Hills can be enjoyed over a morning coffee. There is also a formal dining room and study.

The leisure and entertaining space doesn’t stop there; on the lower ground floor there is a large gym and shower room as well as a media room that includes a fun bar area.

Externally, the expertise of award-winning landscape architect Kevin Murphy is clearly evident; his imaginative yet intuitive design of the rear garden uses a multi-layer approach, making the most of the space by creating distinctive, separate areas and providing a stunning backdrop for the home.

Northdowns Heights is on the market for £3.5m. For more information, or to arrange an appointment to view the property, please contact Hill Clements (01483 300300) or email info@hillclements.com.

Since the first homes at Alton Court in Ealing launched in July this year, less than 30 per cent remain available for sale; those still wishing to purchase at our client Broadway Living’s exciting development should contact the sales suite to avoid disappointment.

The homes at Alton Court provide the first opportunity for buyers to be a part of Copley Hanwell W7, the flagship regeneration and development by Broadway Living. Each home is designed to Broadway Living’s high-quality specification and premium finish, showcased in the two-bedroom show apartment which has recently opened for viewings by appointment.

Buyers at Alton Court have the opportunity to purchase using shared ownership or Help To Buy. These government schemes mean that buyers who might not have a chance of getting a foot on the housing ladder in the normal way, are able to purchase a home locally like the majority of those who have already bought a home at Alton Court.

The Help to Buy scheme means that the government will lend 40 per cent of the home’s value – interest free for the first five years – so a mortgage for only 55 per cent of the full amount will need to be arranged. Shared ownership enables a buyer to purchase a share of their new home, meaning that a deposit and mortgage is required only for that share – bringing costs down considerably.

Alton Court is just one of the eight phases of regeneration at the Copley development. To find out more about the homes at Alton Court, or to make an appointment to view the sales and marketing suite visit copleyhanwellw7.co.uk

There is more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes. While we certainly don’t condone that in a literal sense, the meaning is one we take seriously at PHM.

Even as the world moves on, and PR becomes increasingly digital (along with most everything else) we firmly believe that the traditional press release still has its place. However, one size does not fit all, which is true of both clients and journalists – a varied approach to media relations is, and will continue to be, the most effective way to share your message. So beyond the humble news release, how can you ensure your content reaches its target?

The feature pitch

The humble press release should exist to share news, not story angles, and will land in a journalist’s inbox with plenty of other press releases vying for attention. If you have a good idea for a story that provides context to your content, send a simple email instead. A couple of paragraphs and a clear, direct explanation makes for easy and quick reading for a busy journalist.

Twitter

If Facebook talks to community and LinkedIn talks to business, then Twitter talks to everyone. Twitter provides an instant link between journalists and those of us looking to feed in content, against a backdrop of breaking news – ideal for finding those all-important hooks – and urgent media requests issued 20 minutes before a deadline.

Phone

Email is a great tool for ensuring accuracy and creating a paper trail, and evidence suggests that any communication that avoids spoken dialogue seems to be the method of choice for millennials. Breaking with this trend, we’re big fans of the humble telephone – a verbal, instantaneous conversation means that you’re not only able to convey information effectively, but have a better insight into what journalists are looking for. No square pegs/round holes.

If you’d like to talk to PHM about a bespoke approach to your PR requirements, call us on 01483 561119 or email info@housegroup.co.uk.

As of tomorrow it is Garden Square Open Weekend (17th -18th June), a special event that sees over 230 private and little-known gardens opened up across 27 London boroughs. With glorious weather expected, we’ve pulled together a couple of homes currently for sale with their own beautiful ‘secret’ garden that can be enjoyed in the summer sun:

Prime Place Sevenoaks, a development by ‘be’, is a stunning collection of high specification one and two-bedroom apartments less than two minutes’ walk from Sevenoaks station. From the upper floors, some of the homes benefit from far-reaching views across the North Downs, but at the heart of the development are beautifully-landscaped gardens arranged over two levels, designed by a multi Gold Medal award winner at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

From Sevenoaks to Surrey; Hartwood is a beautifully presented Georgian wing of Bradstone Brook in Shalford on the market with high end Surrey estate agents Grantley. Bradstone Brook is a magnificent Grade II Listed Georgian mansion, believed to have been built in 1791 by Thomas Gibson, a London Merchant, set in 13.5 acre gardens and grounds. This five-bedroom home boasts stunning communal gardens, complete with a waterfall, as well as a communal tennis court, swimming pool and spectacular views of St Martha’s.

The London Evening Standard New Homes Awards is always a highlight in the calendar for property industry professionals, and last Friday’s awards ceremony did not disappoint. Property House Marketing celebrated two award wins as well as three highly commended accolades, for the entries we wrote and designed on behalf of our clients back in February.

The New Homes Awards are now in their 26th year and recognise a range of new homes across the property spectrum – from first-time buyer apartments to one-off luxury mansions, and high-rise developments in city centres to countryside conversions. What makes this competition different is that the entries are decided by a panel of property experts with the help of Evening Standard readers with recent buying experience.

The ceremony was introduced by the paper’s new editor George Osborne and hosted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan. There were 13 prizes announced, with PHM’s clients receiving recognition for the following projects:

St Joseph’s Gate (The Chapel) by Berkeley Oxford & Chiltern won ‘Best Conversion’ as well as highly commended in the ‘Best Luxury Home’ category

If you’ve recently completed a development or project of which you are particularly proud, now is the opportune moment to speak to us about a submission into the What House? Awards as the deadline is just weeks away.

If you’re still undecided as to whether you should be entering your developments or projects for awards this year, read our blog explaining the three reasons why awards are a valuable addition to your marketing strategy.